2011 Porsche Boxster Exclusive Spy Video and Photos

Seems like just yesterday we were getting the lowdown on the refreshed 2009 Porsche Boxster. As usual, the exterior changes were minor, but new engines gave it considerably more punch.

The prototype you see here is an early development mule for the next-generation 2011 Porsche Boxster. Again, it appears to have few changes on the outside. A new set of side mirrors and some minor reshaping of the front fascia are the only noticeable differences. It also appears to be slightly wider in back, but that could be nothing more than heavy camouflage.

Much of the speculation around this car has focused on the possibility of four-cylinder power. Last November, a report in Autocar claimed that this Boxster would be the most economical Porsche ever thanks to a new turbocharged, four-cylinder engine. Its displacement would be roughly 2.4 to 2.5 liters and it would make just over 200 horsepower.

If that's the case, the prototypes we caught on the Nürburgring weren't the new base model. The exhaust note sounds too similar to the current six-cylinder Boxsters, and we don't hear any turbocharger sounds either.

Regardless of which engines this new Boxster features, a weight reduction program is expected. Porsche needs to get the carbon footprint of its sports cars under control or it will face a tough road meeting new emissions standards in the U.S. Who knows how the company is going to attack the same problem when it comes to the Cayenne?

With sales of the 2011 Boxster still two years away, we don't expect to see the final production version of this car in public until late next year.

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